Is a winter fertilizer something you really need? Is it worth the money?  The answer is yes! 

It’s arguably the most important fertilizer application for your lawn (especially if you live in Northern climates).  We’ll explain why: 

Regular Fertilizer vs Winter Fertilizer:

What’s the main difference? Fertilizers applied throughout the year are intended to keep your grass growing.  A winter fertilizer is intended to make sure your lawn stores enough food over winter to rapidly grow once Spring comes.

Winter is a tough time for lawns.  A winterizer is a late fall application of fertilizer designed to help lawns store more food to survive winter and improve growth in spring.  It makes these stored nutrients readily available in Spring. This stored food ensures that your lawn is ready for a spring green-up.

What is the disease triangle? 

The disease triangle in lawn care consists of the 3 factors (susceptible host, pathogen spores, environment) that are needed to be present for a lawn disease to exist. If one is missing, a lawn disease will not be present.  

For years and years we've all heard the metaphor, “The grass always greener on the other side of the road”.  To most, this is a reminder that other people’s lives or situations aren’t always better than ours, as they may seem from afar. 

As a lawn professional, this can mean something much more literal.  One of the common calls we get in the summer months is, "Why does the lawn across the street look better than mine?"

Myth #1: I do not need to Core Aerate my lawn every fall. 

• This all depends on your lawn. If your lawn has a high clay content, we recommend a yearly Core Aeration service. Clay soil will compact when dry.  High traffic areas will also compact more and need aeration.  If you have a healthy, well maintained lawn, you only need Core Aeration services every other year.
  • Why Does My Lawn Need Core Aeration? [Explained]

We have had a ton of rain in the Northeast this July and we are seeing a LOT of disease issues this year because of it.  

Pythium Blight is one in particular that we are seeing a lot of this summer. There are many different strategies for treating Pythium.  The one that we’d like to dive into a bit more today is using Phosphites. 

A lot of people when they hear Phosphite, think Phosphate.  These are not to be confused.  Phosphate fertilizers have become banned in lawn care use in CT.  Phosphorus is a naturally occurring and essential nutrient for plants but increased levels of these nutrients can jeopardize water quality in its run-off.

Pythium is a destructive fungal disease that can spread very quickly in a lawn.  It does the worst of its damage in hot and humid conditions. Pythium, like many other lawn diseases, can do a lot of damage in a short amount of time and is easier prevented than cured. 

Some customers ask us why they have weeds in the Summer if we have already treated their lawns for weeds in the Spring. Treating weeds is an ongoing process. Why? Because there are different generations of annual weeds. 

Summer annual weeds can be difficult to manage in the Northeast because they are suited to thrive in many of the same conditions that cool season grasses thrive in. 

A tick’s life cycle occurs over the span of the year. Our goal? To disrupt it. When we treat for ticks, whether it’s a DIY method or a commercial application, our goal is to understand their life cycle so we know how to disrupt it. 

What's the difference between sandy soil and clay soil? Soil characteristics play a large role in what your irrigation strategy should be. 

Sandy and clay soil hold and retain water differently.  Water moves slowly through clay soil and quickly through sandy soil.  

Coming into Spring, soil temperature dictates just about everything we do in lawn care - especially in the Northeast where we have a lot of cool season grasses.  

What temperature does my soil need to be for seeds to germinate?

Spring seeding and dormant seedings won't germinate until soil temperatures are above 50 degrees Fahrenheit.  A range of 50-65 degrees is optimal (measured at a depth of 2 inches).  Once we reach this soil temperature, the process of germination will begin.